Christian Tour Holding SA received the green light from the Competition Council for the acquisition of the majority stake of 51% in the company Anima Wings Aviation SA previously owned by Aegean Airlines. Thus, the airline AnimaWings becomes 100% Romanian, being fully owned by Memento Holding BV and Christian Tour Holding SA.
If in the beginning Animawings was just a project. Now, on purchase, it is a company operating in Romania for almost five years, with hundreds of thousands of passengers who have traveled to their favorite holiday destinations and been very satisfied with the quality services provided on board the aircraft.
"AnimaWings, today, is an infrastructure company with a soulful team of professionals, dedicated employees, systems, procedures and safety protocols of an exceptional standard. Obviously, this required and continues to require very large rounds of investment, of which we are aware, but we are very motivated to continue the history of AnimaWings in a 100% Romanian version. We would be happy if the business community in Romania saw how important it is to demonstrate the performance of a Romanian company that reaches international standards of excellence", added Cristian Pandel.
The value of the transaction by which Christian Tour Holding SA bought the majority package from Aegean Airlines
The value of the transaction through which Christian Tour Holding SA bought the majority package from Aegean Airlines is in the order of millions of euros. Negotiations and final approvals, including approval from the Competition Council, took over 8 months.
"Our goal, now, is for AnimaWings to become in the immediate period the preferred airline of Romanians and to keep the standards of Romanian aviation as high as possible, having a business philosophy centered on passengers, on customers. Investments will continue, because we have big plans: 12 new aircraft in the fleet, in the next 3 years, Airbus A220 and Airbus 320-200 NEO", stated Marius Pandel, AnimaWings shareholder.
"HASThe Airbus 220-300 is the star of the moment in the market, with some unique features and performance. This state-of-the-art aircraft no longer exists in Romania, which is a first for our partners from Airbus, but worldwide it is in the fleet of large companies, such as Air France, AirBaltic, SWISS, Delta Airlines, ITA Airways, Egypt Air or Air Canada.
The Airbus 220-300 is a very reliable aircraft
The Airbus 220-300 is a very reliable aircraft that lends itself to the current trend, being suitable for both the business segment and passengers flying to holiday destinations with family or loved ones. The unique configuration, beyond the conventional design, with generous seats, equipped with a wide range of entertainment options on board – we will have wifi on board, spacious colors and bright windows that give a radiant ambience on board – fully embodies the commitment of AnimaWings to excellence in aviation. We will focus on the quality of service on board the aircraft, in the airport and providing a complete experience to AnimaWings passengers", he pointed out Marius Pandel.
The A220 model has 140/149 seats, 12 business seats, foldable, with a space between the seats clearly superior to other models on the market, and five seats per row. The plane produces 50% less noise, 30% less pollution and consumes 25% less fuel than an aircraft of old generations. AnimaWings currently operates the Airbus A320-200 aircraft type. Starting from the summer of 2024, the first two Airbus 220-300 aircraft, purchased under operational leasing, will also arrive.
Airbus A320NEO aircraft will be allocated to destinations where increased capacity is needed. AnimaWings operates flights from Henri Coandă Airport in Bucharest, but also from nine other cities in the country.
The operating schedule for flights from 2024 is to be published on the website www.animawings.com on March 24, considering that by then the list of new destinations to be operated both nationally and internationally will be finalised. AnimaWings will this year operate flights to holiday destinations covered by Christian Tour and tour operators in Romania, as well as regular flights to major European cities.
"We want AnimaWings to be a Romanian project based on quality, a company appreciated for the special way passengers feel even before they step on board our aircraft and until they land at their destination, with a smile on their face. With the aircraft we will operate, we will not be a low cost business model, but a company that offers flight and travel experiences, positioned correctly in the price range vs. quality offered, with various routes to business and leisure destinations", tell me more Marius Pandel, AnimaWings shareholder.